#rasquachismo

[chicanoartmovement]

CHICANO ART MOVEMENT visits: “Rasquachismo” 2024

On Saturday 05/11/24, we visited Huntington Beach Art Center to view “Rasquachismo” in the city of Huntington Beach, California.

(“Beyond Timeless” by Justin Favela, 2022)

We learned from the mission statement that: “‘Rasquachismo,’ [is] a multi-media exhibition celebrating the aesthetics and transformative power of Lowriders. Featuring work by William Camargo with Alkaid Ramirez, Justin Favela, Stephanie Mercado, Arturo Meza Il, Aaron Moctezuma, Jose Manuel Flores Nava, Alicia Villegas-Rolon, and Cora J. Quiroz.”

(“Anaheim in Flux” by William Camargo with Alkaid Ramirez, 2024)

“Emerging from the barrios of Southern California, lowriding brought forth a long resistance against the American Dream and dominant idealist norms that attempted to anglicize the young Chicanx individual. Forces of the Anglo-American culture did all it could to disrupt and omit the lowrider. From individual traffic stops to passing county-wide laws, all were attempts to take the lowrider off the streets. Low and slow, their metallic bodies transfigured in response. Now, unapologetically visible, lowriders glisten in candy-colored paint and dance with the aid of hydraulics. The power of lowriding extends beyond the car's aesthetics, however. It has become a rasquachismo expression of Mexican-American, and, eventually, Chicanx identity.”

(“Highland Park” by Stephanie Mercado, 2023)

A favorite of Robert’s at the “Rasquachismo” exhibit was Stephanie Mercado’s “Highland Park.” Through a little research, we learned that “‘Highland Park’ honors the cultural richness of the area including its history, diversity, and its valuable contributions to the broader arts and culture sector of Los Angeles. Utilizing imagery and icons sourced from the neighborhood, this piece celebrates the enduring local landmarks and showcases the architectural diversity that defines the area. Simultaneously, it pays homage to the artists and art spaces that have played a vital role in making Highland Park a vibrant and lively neighborhood for generations.” 

(Detailed view of “We Can Dream” by Cora J. Quiroz, 2022)

From the museum ephemera, we learned that this painting entitled “We Can Dream” by Cora J. Quiroz is part of a series called “Not Your Typical Rosie.” 

The artist states: “I paint women in a way that removes them from being acquiescent muses in typical artworks. From action, body language, and clothing, to expression, I ensure the women I paint have active roles of inspiration, movement, and storytelling. Raised by my mother, I learned about my family’s history through oral tradition. Rather than beng inspred by male-dominated stories in media, I became inspired by the Indigenous and Mexican women of my family, taking spaces where they were not expected.

The simplest acts typical for a man to perform, can often be taboo for women, such as working in the car industry. Despite this, for many years there have been women who have gone against the grain to become whoever they pleased to be, going beyond the WWII icon associated with strong women. These are the stories that inspire my work.” 

(“El Cuento de los Panes: A Community Installation Inspired by Dr. Tomás Ybarra-Frausto” organized by the Exhibition Design students at Laguna College of Art and Design, 2024) 

The exhibition statement shares that the term rasquachismo was “coined by Chicano scholar and art critic Tomás Ybarra-Frausto to describe ‘an underdog perspective, a view from los de abajo’ (from below) in working class Chicanx communities which uses elements of ‘hybridization, juxtaposition, and integration’ as a means of empowerment and resistance.”

The Huntington Beach Art Center presents “Rasquachismo” curated by Laura Black until June 1st, 2024 with their last programming event of an artist discussion is set for Saturday May 25th, 2024 from 1pm to 2:30pm.

[tielt]

->

[oh-hush-its-perfect]

rasquachismo, babe!

[confessionsofatextmexhoarder]

Thanks again for Steve for introducing the term RASQUACHE into our lexicon ... here's the horse's mouth source:

[latinoxcsu2022]

Module 11: Rasquachismx and Razabilly

Ch. 26 Raza Rockabilly and Greaser Cultura

Despite making up a significant portion of the Raza Rockabilly culture, when I think of classic rockabilly, the last character that comes to mind is one of Latina/o descent. However, Latinx folks have steadily made up a prominent part of rockabilly culture and performance. Taking up space as performers as well as promoters, fans, and influencers, Latinx have been central to considerable transforming what it means to be in the Rockabilly scene and culturally decolonizing the space to reflect the communities’ style and sounds. I believe that a major part of transforming rockabilly to Razabilly is the acknowledgment that Latino/a music and style played a pivotal role in shaping the mainstream rock and roll culture that is known today. In other words, Raza Rockabilly goes so much deeper than white sentiments and has roots in authentic Latinx heritage and culture.

Ch. 27 Bodies in Motion

When I look at narratives around immigration, social activism, and criminalization in the Latinx community through my perspective as a cultural outsider, I become increasingly aware that popular culture and mainstream media are one of the major areas that subsequently determine the assimilation of ideas that many non-Latinx American citizens have regarding socio-political issues. This chapter highlights the fact that Latinx popular culture provides the crossroads at which bodies in motion and media intersect. In other words, it is the point at which socio-political movements can be adequately and truly represented through small-scale media production or social media. My main takeaway from this chapter is that Latinx Bodies, Rasquachismo, and the popular culture images that frame them can be regarded in a sense as a center for cultural sensibility.

Ch.28 Claiming Style, Consuming Culture

With its reputation for inspiring trends and being on the edge of innovation, the fashion industry undermines the inspiration that it takes from small-scale designers and, most significantly, designers of color. The core tenet of Latinx fashion and styling transcends what is expected of fashion designers overall. In other words, Latinx fashion is anchored “by oppositional formations, shifting popular trends, and transnational politics,” and as such, realize culture and heritage as it relates to consuming fashion trends and making strides behind the scenes. However, Latinx representation in the fashion industry is disproportionately low despite how unique and beautiful Latinx style is. Through self-styling practices, Latinx create these styles as a representation of their expressive, feminists, and heteronormative representations.

References

ROUTLEDGE. (2019). Routledge companion to Latina/o Popular Culture, pp. 301-334.

[kewlkatrawr]

Module Seven: Latinx Pop Artivism (17-19)

Chapter 17 “Hermandad, Arte, and Rebeldia: Mexican Popular Art in New York City” by Melissa Castillo-Garsow primarily discusses the artworks of Har’d Life which focuses on tattoos, murals, and paintings. The chapter begins with an interesting discussion of Latinx immigrants and their experiences within New York, which is commonly overcrowded in areas like the Bronx and Queens. Another interesting aspect of this chapter is its discussion of graffiti and how it is both an accessible and identity-building form of art, which has now been used more and more to bring communities together. The next chapter, “Inexact Revolutions: Understanding Latino Pop Art” by Rocio Isabel Prado mentions the idea of rasquachismo as a foundation of much Latinx pop art, where “piecing together” recovered materials is often the main focus. Something else many of these artists do is take bits and pieces of Latinx culture such as Dia De Los Muertos and attempt to connect it to culture within the United States. This art has also been used to make politicized statements and speaks out against injustices like the piece titled “Who’s the Illegal Alien, Pilgrim?” by Yolanda Lopez which melds the identities of indigenous people and immigrants as a critique against colonization and white xenophobia. Chapter 19 “Installation Art,  Transnationalism, and the Chinese-Chicano Experience” by Richard Alexander Lou and Guisela Latorre discusses interesting works like that of Richard Lou who created an installation piece titled Stories On My Back (pictured above) which utilizes oral traditions, corn husks, and pictures amongst other things to create a commentary on the “situated experiences of Lou and his family” (216). The interesting part of this chapter is that it focuses on an immersive experience and looks into what it is like to be a person of both Asian and Latinx descent, which might not be an identity often brought up in mainstream media.

[thoughtportal]

In the 1970s and ’80s Cheech Marin was famous for being half of the stoner comedy duo "Cheech and Chong." Today, he’s a passionate advocate for Chicano art and is raising awareness around a uniquely Mexican American aesthetic: rasquachismo. In this episode of Sidedoor, Cheech Marin is our guide to the wildly creative and ingenious world of rasquachismo—the Chicano art of working with what you've got.

[chicanxartandthoughts]

Part II: “Rasquachismo”

An artist’s take on the beauty of  cultural sensibilities 

The word ‘rasquache’ describes something of low or poor quality. Growing up, ‘rasquache’ would described my family’s tendency to reuse things and to continue repurposing items. However, ‘rasquachismo’ began to capture the sensibilities of many Chicanx experiences that were looked down upon. It artistically captured the ‘sensibilites’ of many of the Chicanx experiences that tend to be looked down upon. Artist Yvette Mayorga began using recycled items and incorporating them into her artwork, as a symbol of appreciation. Rasquachismo serves as a way to dismantle the negative connotation that was placed on anything labeled as ‘rasquache’. Art like Mayorga’s serves to place value on experiences and items that were once seen as valueless or left over. In addition to repurposing many items and using a mixed media style, her work seeks to illustrate the “dark side of the American dream.” Interestingly, she hopes to capture the dismal nature of the experiences many immigrants have been subject to. She takes items that once characterized her life and uses them to illustrate the cruel realities many immigrants face. 

(More on Yvette Mayorga: https://news.artnet.com/exhibitions/yvette-mayorga-geary-contemporary-1712022) 

[iris-kaz2]

In the essay “Chicano/a Critical Practices: Reflections of Tomas Ybarra-Frausto's Concept of Rasquachismo”,Barnet-Sanchez argues that chicano art is a vital cultural force in the United States. Chicano art continues to question the role and direction of the art of  the Americas, its challenges and redefines the hemispheric and national parameters of American art and affirms its value and place in the national arts. It helps to develop a richer and more accurate picture of American art history and that’s why it cannot be ignored and erased. 

Indeed, we have to argue for an approach that does not deny the transnational ties between cultures. We need to bring minorities into the picture as they are part of our society. We have to foresee the importance of a meaningful integration that evolves from answering questions such as: Where do the mutually constructed fields of Latino and American art overlap, digress, or even disappear? How does engaging the works of American artists, regardless of ethnicity or race, ultimately change how we think of American art, history, and culture? We should take actions like Jonathan Jones, an artist from Australia, who works toward uniting Indigenous and settler history together. Particularly in his installation, Barrangal Dyara (Skin and Bones), which is made of 15,000 white shields that are scattered around the Royal Botanic Garden, he serves to pay tribute to Indigenous artefacts and remains which were burnt down in 1882. Jones wants to remind us that it is important to recognize their indigenous part of their history and value it.  Similarly, we have to value our heritage and other cultures. We have to promote the ideas of intersectionality, compassion and empathy in order to fight against social erasure. 

[anniekoh]

rasquachismo

I assigned Roberto Bedoya’s 2014 essay “Spatial Justice: Rasquachification, Race and the City” for one of my classes this semester. Bedoya’s work has been a touchstone as I think about placemaking. 

As I presented a talk on the politics of belonging and dis-belonging as they relate to practices of “creative placemaking,” I drifted away from my consideration of artists as placemakers to ask the audience who among them knew the term Rasquache. No hands were raised. I then pivoted and said that I was not interested in unpacking how gentrification operates; instead I wanted to talk about how places are made through Rasquachification. As the gentry moves the working class and poor out of cities, what unsanctioned means will the newly displaced residents use to style their next locale? How might this form of artistic expression, this form of speech, provide a counterframe to gentrification and the homogenizing aesthetic of the white spatial imaginary?

The scholar Tomás Ybarra-Frausto describes Rasquache as a Chicano aesthetic with an “attitude rooted in resourcefulness and adaptability yet mindful of stance and style.” Evoking rasquachismo from an artist’s perspective, Amalia Mesa-Bains calls it “the capacity to hold life together with bits of string, old coffee cans, and broken mirrors in a dazzling gesture of aesthetic bravado.” 

When I think of rasquachismo, I think of repurposing a tire into a flowerpot that you would never find at Home Depot. Such an object signifies the imaginary structured by resourcefulness, and prompted by poverty, which is distinct from the imaginary imposed by the monetization of neighborhoods, a prevailing objective in urban development.

For my students, the majority of whom grew up in Los Angeles and its environs, embedded within Latinx neighborhoods and families, the word rasquache was easily understood if not well known. They related it to San Diego’s Chicano Park, or the homes built by residents of Chavez Ravine.

I was curious to learn that “rasquachismo” has been used as a label for contemporary art.

A lesson in “rasquachismo” art: Chicano aesthetics & the “sensibilities of the barrio” by Maria Anderson (Smithsonian Insider, 2017)

In her review of a 1989 rasquachismo show at Denver’s Chicano Humanities and Art Council Gallery, art critic Jennifer Heath noted: “The zoot suit-era car arrived with a stranger from Colorado Springs, who had telephoned CHAC Director Carmen Atilano just before the opening to ask if he could display it. That’s the nature of rasquache. It belongs to the people, and is nothing more, nor less, than Chicano aesthetics, the sensibilities of the barrio, that mingle Mexican and Anglo-American experiences into everyday life. In Spanish, rasquache means ‘leftover’ or ‘of no value.’ In Chicano vernacular, it describes an attitude, the taste or lifestyle of the underdog.”

Yet in the fine art world, rasquachismo is a conceptual aesthetic category

Why the Chicano Underdog Aesthetic ‘Rasquachismo’ Is Finally Having Its Day by Haleema Shah (Smithsonian.com, 2019)

...actor and director Cheech Marin opines on the Chicano art sensibility that is defiant, tacky and wildly creative

When Chicano artists in L.A. wanted to show their art, they were told by the-powers-that-be at museums that Chicanos don’t make fine art. They make agitprop folk art,” he says, “agitational propaganda.”

“Anybody who knows rasquache recognizes it immediately. Rasquache is being able to take a little pushcart that sells ice cream cones and turn it into a three-bedroom house. That is the essence of it,” Marin says with a laugh. “You have to make art or something resembling art in your life with baser objects. It's not art made of gold, it’s made of tin, dirt or mud.”

[elpachuco]

Image: Flyer for Dia de los Muertos/Day of the Dead | Ritchie Valens Memorial

[latinoxcsu2022]

Module 7: Latinx Pop Artivism

In a society that consistently ignores, oppresses, and excludes those who culturally differ, Latino/a pop art takes a revolutionary look at identity and heritage through its rasquachismo approach. Latinx pop art, an inclusionary art form that seeks to emphasize and build around ideas of cultural revelations, is not limited to specific sources, time periods, or linguistic methods (205). It is borne out of the innate Latino/a ability to piece together creative pieces of art through the ideas, perspectives, and materials around the artist to produce art as diverse and beautiful as the heritage that it is borne out of. 

As artists began to realize the impact of art and the colorful expressionism associated with various forms of art intersecting with various identities, it is interesting to look at how art often works in conjunction with relevant social movements, political issues, and inclusion (210). Through the works of Alma Lopez and Richard Lou, continual definitions of art and creative expression continue to give way to greater cultural awareness, autonomy, and visibility (215). This is further amplified through idealized cultural intersectionality and through an artistic manifestation of common social concerns and how it implicates Latina/o youths, artists, professionals, and families.

References

ROUTLEDGE. (2019). Routledge companion to Latina/o Popular Culture, pp. 199-224.

[latinxcreative]

Reflection #11

This week’s readings have taught me a lot about fashion and style and it’s connection to LAtinx women. I think I was able to reflect a lot on the styles and habits of my family. When people think of Latina fashion it's often thought of as extra gaudy and full of embellishment. Though these are mostly powered through stereotypes, Latinx fashion is about being resourceful to present what you want. In doing the reading, parts of the Latinx fashion really reminded me of my mother. My mother likes to look expensive and wear designer brands. My mom’s style is dictated by a desire to be classy and expensive. While the reading explains a little about Latinas are able to accomplish this look through means of self alterations to clothes or DIY, my mother when she is able to spend a lot of money on buying more high end clothes. I think my mother does this as a way to overcompensate for the fact that she is not wealthy. And while my mother does embody a lot of elements of Rasquache, she would actively deny it. My mother wants to put up an image that she is in control. By others she wants to be perceived as more classy and more wealthy even though that is not the case. I think my mother pushes back on the concept of Rasquache because of the associations people make with it. Latinx fashion is very expansive and diverse tho key elements such as Rasquachismo is evident throughout all of it.

[routledgecompanionreflection]

Module 11

Rasquachismo is a form of art that makes something out of nothing, or uses materials that other people might write off to create something creative and new. Rasquachismo might take forms ranging from dresses to graffiti, and everything in between. Rasquachismo can often act as the intersection between race, or ethnicity, and other social factors that influence identity, such as gender, class, sexual orientation, ability, and age. Rasquachismo can also be a form of protest or rebellion against inequality and stereotypes. Rasquachismo can make a statement on an individual and community level, or it can challenge political standards and have a larger impact in our society.

Latinx rockabilly plays a role in creating identity and community among Latinx communities. Although rockabilly is typically seen as a White music genre, Chicanos and Latinx people have been a part of this genre from the beginning, but they are often overlooked. In reality, the rockabilly and rock and roll era contained Americans of every ethnicity, race, and skin color. However, the renewed interest in rockabilly in a modern-day environment offers a space for Chicanx and Latinx communities to explore their identities and celebrate a part of music history that is not commonly recognized. Latinx rockabilly also offers a stage for Latinx people to make a statement, whether that is about social justice or individual struggles.

One Latinx rockabilly (or razabilly, as some call it) artist is Vicky Tafoya. Vicky Tafoya is a proud Latina artist who sings R&B, rock and roll, and doo-wop music while putting her own spin on these genres, as a part of what some are calling "Chicano soul music". Another razabilly artist is El Vez, also known as "The Mexican Elvis," who many have credited with expressing revolutionary ideologies through his music. Whereas many Elvis impersonators are simply a recreation of the original, El Vez puts his own spin on the Elvis style and performance. El Vez combines the traditional rockabilly look with his Latinx heritage.

[yamisanchezb]

Style, Rockabilly, & Rasquache

Chapters 26-28

This module brought light into a certain style that is able to capture the cultural importance of this fashion. This type of fashion does have its own origin story like most things, and it is able to bring light to rasquache and what it is. Rasquachismo is defined as “a compendium of all the movidas deployed in immediate, day-to-day living,” and movidas are” strategies used to gain time to retain hope” (pg. 312). Most people have this idea in their minds that art is something that needs skill and creativity. However, the topic of rasquachismo tells a different tale.

With rasquachismo, many can create something from nothing, and it can be made by any artist, student, community, etc. One of the types of rasquachismo styles I love and own is the creation of purses with yarn and soda tabs. Below is one of the bags that I own. It was made by my boyfriend’s grandmother, and she gave it to me as a present. She was able to take the soda tabs, which are not valuable, and turn it into something beautiful. Two different colored yarns with something that is nothing was able to create this bag. Small pieces that are defined as nothing are able to create something that has meaning and showcases a certain beauty.

[taranw23]

ETST 430 - Chapters 26-28

The main point of Chapter 26 was to highlight the Los Angeles rockabilly scene, where racialized and gendered notions of the rockabilly scene are challenged by Los Angeles Chicana/os and Latina/os. The reason why the rockabilly scene is especially important for Latina/o and Chicana/o culture is because it is an environment of community building, and also the collective reminiscing that enthusiasts partake in, since they did not experience the rockabilly scene firsthand. Nonetheless, there is still a large amount of authenticity in actively embracing the nostalgia that rockabilly culture provides. I found it particularly interesting that Vicky Tafoya has the ability to gender-switch her vocals, which is rather interesting. With talent like that, it’s really shocking that she wasn’t on a stage earlier in her life.

Chapter 27 was about the concept of rasquachismo, and how it is used as a form of resistance as well. Rasquachismo is often seen as a Chicana/o aesthetic, and is a vivid combination of post-modernism and authentic parts of Chicana/o culture that undermine the colonized viewpoint of the poor Mexican aesthetic and lifestyle as a whole. There are multiple projects, including The Big Girls Code, which address these derogatory stereotypes towards lower-income Latina/os. There is also Rasquache Yoga, which was created by Hidalgo Newton to spread body positivity. Tomas Ybarra-Frausto is a pioneer of the rasquache aesthetic, and has published an extensive amount of publications on Latinx culture. His main focuses in rasquache aesthetics were centered around the working class, which I found interesting. What really intrigued me was the idea that rasquache art is a large announcement of one’s presence. I never considered that to be the case, yet I knew that the art was meant to consume a suitable amount of space. However, Ybarra-Frausto taught me that rasquache aesthetics are meant to hold space for Chicana/o merit and respect in this colonized country.

Chapter 28 was about Latina self-styling practices, and how marketing and sexualizing Latinas is detrimental to the natural sexuality and gender identities of Latina women. What struck me as interesting yet disappointing was the statement from Cotton Incorporated. I never made the connection of red and lace to be a racialized notion, but when placed in such blatant, harmful context, it’s very difficult to not see why. It’s honestly very disappointing and crude theat society still perceives Latinas as hypersexualized figures instead of women, just like the rest. From this comes a constant trauma that is reflected in the shopping habits of Latina women, spending an extra 25-45 minutes in the store just to find clothes that fit the stereotyped and praised public appeal.